WINGATE — The Bald Eagle Area football team is coming off a 5-6 campaign last year, and according to Head Coach Jesse Nagle, the Eagles could have a much different look in 2026.
BEA is widely known for its spread formations and quick strike offense, but this year’s team will feature three big senior linemen and four tight ends to complement dual offensive threat Luke Hosband.
Seniors Mason Masullo, 6-foot-3, 300 lbs. Ben Clark, 6-3, 240 and Steven Flick, 6-0, 245, will anchor experienced offensive and defensive lines that will give the Eagles a much more physical presence on the field.
Couple that O-line with receiver/running back Hosband, quarterback Chase Cane and full stock of runners, BEA could very well be looking to keep the ball on the ground.
“We have a great senior group,” Nagle said, “and they worked extremely hard this off season. We lost some guys for sure, but to be honest, we had a lot of kids play as sophomores two years ago and now they are returning as seniors.
“The majority of our line is experienced, and we return four starting linemen on both sides of the football, so we are really pumped about that. It all starts up front.
“And we had a lot of skill position players see a lot of time last year, so we are excited to see what they can do as well. We are very young in spots, very skilled, very athletic, but will they get there in time is the question.”
Nagle also spoke highly about new quarterback Chase Cane. Last year’s senior quarterbacks Gradyn Fisher and Kaleb Irion threw for over 1000 yards combined and 10 touchdowns, so replacing them will be a priority.
“A really good bright spot that developed this summer was Chase Cane at quarterback,” Nagle said. “This kid can throw it, but he can also\really hurt you with his feet. He’s super athletic, super fast, and he broke down both Juniata Valley and Bishop Guilfoyle in our scrimmages on Saturday with long runs. He’s going to be someone that’s going to make defenses look at and say he can run it and throw it, and plus they can pound the football.”
But Nagle also reiterated that this team will be looking to run the ball.
“Just our toughness,” he said. “It’s no secret that we are big up front, and we want to run the rock. We want to be successful running the ball and being physical up front.
“We have four tight ends who could start anywhere in the conference, and six or seven big linemen. So, we are definitely going to be run happy with a lot of 2-3 tight-end sets and force teams to condense the box and then get out on some corners.”
First up this season will be LHAC foe Huntingdon in Huntingdon, a team that edged the Eagles 14-6 last season in a close game, and Nagle is planning for his group to get off to a better start this season.
“Huntingdon is a great football team, really good athletes, and they turned the corner last year. They have a lot of good athletes back, and they are going to be a tough out for sure.
We have to be really focused on them because of how good they can be.
“I think the biggest thing we are going to look for down there is growth and development. In our scrimmage we started out slow, and if they can play within themselves I think we are going to be good there.”
The schedule does not get any easier for BEA after the Huntingdon game with Penn Cambria, Penns Valley, Tyrone and Philipsburg-Osceola on the schedule before the end of September.
